Light Up, As If You Have A Choice
by elsbian
Summary: COMPLETE. HUDDY. After She goes missing, House struggles to keep himself sane as everybody begins the search of a lifetime. No spoilers. Rated M for references to rape and sex and language.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, my first attempt at writing a drama fic. This first chapter isn't very long, but I have another few chapters ready and waiting if you like this. Please R&R and tell me if I should continue. [[Fic title - Reference to the song 'Run' by Snow Patrol. It is relevant.]]**

**Chow.**

**Elliot. ;D**

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The room was small and dingy, the only light source being a tiny window in the centre of the wall, giving a view of an old warehouse and a road outside. In the cob web infested corner was an empty scratched china plate, with plastic cutlery lying next to it, covered in wiry bits of fluff from the worn out carpet. Slugs inched their way across the old yellow wallpaper, leaving a sparkling slimy trail behind them that was enhanced by the dim light in the musty room. Dust gathered on one of the only pieces of furniture in the room; an old wooden chest of draws containing a small amount of clothes in each draw. Cracks snaked their way up the damaged walls, adding to the overall slum of the prison-like room.

A woman sat shivering on an old rickety chair, sniffing occasionally as salty tears trickled down her bright pink cheeks. Her once luscious brown hair was tied back carelessly with an elastic band, the muted grey light reflecting off of it and making it look tatty and colourless. Her red top was covered in dust and muck from her surroundings that stole the vibrancy from the material. Her now dull grey eyes had once been bright and filled with joy, but now they were bloodshot and watery as she tried to cry away her pain and sorrow.

Occasionally a car would rush down the road with music blasting from every open window, but they would never stop. They would never stop and look to their right. The woman knew that, because if the people inside the cars had looked, if only for one second, they would have seen that the small building next to them with only one tiny window with a pasty face screaming for help from the inside of it.

For the first week the eerie silence within the room was only broken a few times a day by the uncontrollable sniffs of the woman when she finally couldn't handle the emotions building up inside of her any longer. She wasn't given any food or water for the entire seven days. She didn't have anyone to talk to; her only form of communication was ripped from her shaking hands when she tried to ring for help, when she tried to ring for the one person she knew wouldn't stop until he had her safe in his embrace, when she tried to ring House. But she couldn't now. She'd never get help now. It was too late.

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Wilson sat on his leather couch tapping his mobile gently against the wooden desk in front of him. His last attempt at ringing House hadn't worked. It never worked; House's mobile had been out of battery for the past two days and his house phone had, no doubt, been taken off the hook.

He sighed, carefully weighing up all the options he had. He could drive to House's apartment and tell him about a possible patient, or he could wait for House to turn up to work. He knew the chances of that were slim, considering the recent events, but he didn't particularly want to have to go outside in the pouring rain. He closed his eyes tight in frustration. He knew of course that it wasn't House's fault, what happened, but House had to pull himself together. There was nothing House could do. He just had to focus on other things. Wilson let out a curt laugh; he couldn't even follow his own advice, he hadn't stopped wondering about it all week. He hadn't stopped shifting in his seat with anticipation all week. He couldn't. He couldn't get rid of the gut feeling in his stomach. The feeling that told him something bad had happened to her.

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**R&R please :D**

**Elliot. ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about this ridiculously short chapter, it was supposed to be part of chapter 1, but obviously I forgot to add it, my bad. I've put up this and what was supposed to be chapter 3 now. Anyway, thanks to everyone that read it and reviewed, especially Rev, who is just amazing ;D**

**Anyway, chow.**

**Elliot. ;D**

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The apartment was lit with a number of lamps that gave the rooms a warm glow, adding an air of cosiness to the place. His phone was lying next to its holster so that nobody could disturb him. His TV was on standby in the corner. He hadn't switched it on for days. He had wanted to; he needed something to distract him from the dizzying thoughts of what could have happened to Her, of what could of happened to one of the only people he had ever respected, one of the only people he had ever considered a friend. She and Wilson were the only people in his life that hadn't given up on him. Everyone else had. All his friendships seemed to end the same way; he did something to upset them and they shut him out.

House lay on the couch staring up at the ceiling, thoughts swirling around his mind as he slowly retreated inside of himself. Whatever lights had been lit in his heart had gone out the minute she had been late for work. She was never late. She thrived on her work.

His mind slowly worked over every possible thing that could have happened to her, but nothing fit, apart from one thing. He didn't want to have to think about that one thing, but she'd been gone for a week and nobody could get in contact with her. They'd alerted the police when she didn't turn up for work the second day and posters had been stuck up around town. The one thing was the most likely thing.

The time dragged on excruciatingly slowly as he twirled his cane around in his fingers, not once stopping to think about something other than Her, something other than the only woman who's company he enjoyed. He shut his eyes and let a wave of sleep wash over him, drawing him into darkness as his mind slowly drifted off, but he still didn't stop thinking about Cuddy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Boo. Hello. Thought I'd post this up today. I'm going to finish writing up Cuddy's abduction scene and then I'll post that tomorrow/Sunday, depends how much coursework I have to do. Buh-bye, Elliot. ;D**

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Cuddy sat shaking and crying in the room. Her sniffs and whimpers echoed around her and bounced off the walls, mocking her for being so weak. She hated herself for not being able to control her sobs, but she hated Him more. She hated the man that had done this to her, the man that had locked her in this God forsaken room for a week with no food and no water. She'd been trapped for eight days and this was the first day she'd been given anything to eat or drink. It was terribly cooked porridge oats, it barely passed as edible food, but she ate it anyway, choking down each mouthful. The water was in a ridiculously dirty glass that was covered in dust and mould, but again, she was extremely thirsty and drank it anyway.

She knew what the man looked like, though she'd never really taken a good look at him; her eyes were always too blurred from crying. She'd only seen him twice, once when he first followed her home and approached her, asking her to give him directions to a road before grabbing her and wrestling her in to his car and locking the doors. He never came in to the room, he never spoke to her and he never looked at her. He was nothing. He was weak. He had done this, he should have at least have had the decency to tell her why. He passed her food and water through a cat flap that could only be locked and unlocked from the other side.

She never spoke to him and she never spoke to herself, not even to comfort herself. She didn't trust her words, her mind. She had closed in on herself, all lights inside her switching off. Her abduction was like a power cut. Nothing worked anymore.

House awoke at 4am, still lying on his couch with his cane resting across his chest. The orange streetlights outside his window painted his living room bright gold, a complete contrast to his current mood. At the moment he wanted to throw up, the stress of the past week catching up with him and threatening to burst. He held all of his emotion down, beating it inside him, refusing to let it out, but now the volcano inside him was dangerously close to erupting.

His sat up abruptly when he heard a knock on his door. It was faint and barely audible, but it was there. It was 4am, why the hell would someone be at his apartment at this time?

He picked up his cane with both hands and raised it over his shoulder as he quietly walked over to the door. He extended his arm and slowly unlocked it before quickly tugging the door open. He put both hands back on his cane and got ready to swing his cane at the man, when he cried out.

"HOUSE!" Wilson shrieked, shielding his face with his arms.

"Good Lord! What the hell are you doing here? You do know when its 4am people are generally asleep, right?" House shot at him, anger dripping off his words and attacking Wilson.

"Apparently not you though... Still thinking about Cuddy?" Wilson asked gently, not wanting to hurt House. The possibility of hurting House was always there, but obviously House's would never show it. He'd disguise it as something else, something sarcastic.

House nodded and looked at the floor. Suddenly the wiry bits of material were fascinating as he desperately tried to think of something to distract him from the current situation. "Why are you here?"

Wilson raised his eyebrows, genuinely shocked by House's nod, as opposed to his usual sarcastic self, though he didn't want to get kicked out so he regained his composure and replied. "I thought of something. But I'm not sure if you're going to like it."

It was 3am. Wilson had been sitting in his office all day, completely glazed over as he wrote out prescriptions. He wasn't focusing on the files or paper in front of him; he was too busy trying to think of a way to find Cuddy. He tapped his pen on the surface in front of him, racking his brain for an idea, any idea. And then it came to him. Possibly the only way to find Cuddy. It was simple. It had already been tried, but only by police, not by House.

House had the strange ability to deduce what somebody has from hardly any symptoms, so if Wilson wrote out a list of places that had already been searched, House could somehow decide from that the kind of places that the abductor wouldn't have taken Cuddy. It was a long-shot, but it was worth a try.


	4. FAQ

**Okie dokie, these were some of the questions posted in reviews, so I thought I'd answer them to stop you getting confused/annoyed. Sorry for anyone that thought it would be a chapter. **

**Elliot. ;D**

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**How does the song relate to the fic?**

Give it time; it'll make sense soon... hopefully. ;D

**Wait, I'm confused. Cuddy is missing for 8 days now? And House and Wilson searched for her only now?**

For the first couple of days House wasn't sure whether she was missing or ill. Then the police were informed and they searched locally. House is House; he was worried but didn't want to show it. He went to her house obviously but she wasn't there, that's when he told the police. Wilson just doesn't know what to do or where to look. There'll be more on the past week in the fic soon.

**But wait... who took cuddy? What happened before she was abducted?**

You'll find out in my next chapter. I'm going to be writing it over the next couple of days, and I haven't got much coursework, which means lots of time to write.

**Has she been kidnapped by someone trying to hurt house?**

You'll find out soon. ;D

**But 7 days nothing to drink? She wouldn't be still alive then.**

I considered that. I did my research; it is possible to survive 7 days with no water.

**Considering the way she dresses (like a ho-oker, with her breasts almost falling out) it's no wonder Cuddy got raped, it was just a matter of time. She practically provoked it by her stupid "style" of dressing. No intelligent being would go parading around dressed like that least of all a Dean at a hospital, who should be a professional and dress accordingly.**

This isn't really a question, but it is a largely debated topic, and I think it's time it was settled; she is not a real person. Cuddy is a fictional character. She can dress how she likes.


	5. Chapter 4

**Wahaha. A long-ish chapter now, including Cuddy's abduction scene and one of House's "Ah ha!" moments. Please R&R! I appreciate any reviews, so please, all you have to do is click a button and type a message :D**

**Elliot. ;D**

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Cuddy lay sleeping on the floor, using her dirty coat as a pillow. She mumbled and stirred in her sleep. Her mind replayed the events she had had nightmares about so often.

//

Cuddy carefully walked across the icy car park to where she left her car. It was late, she couldn't see anyone around her, but she could hear someone. Their footsteps easily matched her fast pace. By the sounds of it they were several metres away, they were probably just looking for their car. She sighed a sigh of relief when she saw that the car next to hers flashed, signalling that it had been unlocked. The person obviously just parked next to her. It was fine. She pulled her coat tighter around her body. She was only wearing a low-cut red top and a black skirt. She should have worn warmer clothes but her femininity was dying to look sexy, even if it meant freezing her ass off.

She walked the last few metres to her car, pulling open the door and throwing her bag on to the seat opposite before sitting down in the driver's seat. She checked herself out in the mirror before putting the keys in the ignition and revving the car. She pulled out of her space, making sure the car next to her wasn't pulling out at the same time. She gasped. The man in the car was staring at her. His eyes were glazed over as his bright green eyes burned into her. Shivering with a twinge of fear, she drove out of the car park and headed towards her home.

She tried not to focus on the sickening feeling that she was being followed, but eventually she couldn't take it anymore and searched for the man's car in the rear view mirror. Her eyes searched the mirror for the car she knew would be there but hoped it wasn't. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes when she saw that his car was only three or four cars behind her own.

As snow began to drift down from the cold grey sky, Cuddy picked up speed and overtook several cars ahead of her, attempting to put distance between her and the man. She swerved out of the overtaking lane and back into the slower lane, earning herself several loud horn blows from the cars behind her.

Her heart rate began to increase, creating a rhythmic beat inside her chest. She took several deep breaths and checked the mirror again.

"Oh thank God." She breathed with a sigh of relief; the car was nowhere to be seen. With a smile she continued her drive home.

She pulled into her driveway, the car wheels crunching on the pebble stones. She picked up her bag and turned off the engine before opening her door. She clambered out and heard footsteps behind her.

"Shit!" She screamed just before a large hand clamped over her mouth. She dropped her bag and tried to prise off the man's hand with her shaking hands, squealing and kicking as he dragged her backwards away from the car.

"Shut up you stupid bitch!" He shouted, tightening his grip around her mouth. His other hand wrapped around her waist, trying to keep her under control.

The orange glow from the street lights illuminated her panicked face. The stones underneath her uncontrollable feet were kicked around, leaving large areas of mud uncovered and exposed, showing a clear sign of a struggle.

Her squeals of fear remained un-noticed by her sleeping neighbours, rendering her completely helpless against the man that was attacking her.

She screamed louder as she felt his hand move from around her waist and punch her hard in the back of her head. Salty tears rolled down her bright red cheeks leaving a watery trail behind them that sparkled in the orange glow. Her grey eyes were filled with fear and pain, calling out to the starry sky for help.

The man punched her again, causing her to go limp in his arms. He laughed and dragged her unconscious body to his car that was waiting outside her driveway. He had left it unlocked so he wouldn't have to fish his keys out of his pockets while he was holding her. Her quickly bundled her into the back seat and climbed into the front of the car before driving off with a smug look on his calm face.

//

**_House's house_**

The notes screamed out with power. They charged around the house and echoed off of the walls. They crashed down the door and stormed down the street, into the street lit distance. They were shouting out and their loudness caused many people to stir and awake from their slumber. House continued playing, even with this knowledge. He was plucking the strings as hard as he could, trying to make as much noise as possible to drown out the sound of his mind. The constant whining and complaining was driving him insane; he couldn't even shut himself up.

"_'Cause I want it now,_

_I want it now._

_Give me your heart and your soul._

_I'm not breaking down,_

_I'm breaking out,_

_Last chance to lose control._"

He shouted the words but kept in tune with the song. It was difficult to get the pronunciation right. The band was English, leaving him to battle with his American accent to try and sound correct. It was a tough task, but he pulled it off, the resemblance to the actual song was uncanny.

He'd never been a big fan of loud heavy music, but he'd also never been someone for worrying about Cuddy. He was confused by his own actions; something he'd never experienced before.

He switched his concentration over to the upcoming solo, preparing himself for the notes that he loved so much. His fingers moved swiftly to each fret, the sound bursting from the amp perfectly matching the quality of the song. As the next verse approached he cleared his throat and glanced up to the rain lashed window, not sure what he was expecting to see. Much like all the other times he had looked out of the window, Cuddy wasn't standing there smiling.

He focused on the powerful words he was singing.

"_And I want you now,_

_I want you now,_

_I feel my heart implode._

_And I'm breaking out,_

_Escaping now,_

_Feeling my faith erode._"

He finished off the song with the last riff before sitting quietly on a chair, wallowing in his provoking thoughts. He didn't know why he was unable to control his thoughts. He couldn't seem to think about anything other than where Cuddy could be. He had listened to Wilson's idea and although it seemed like a logical way of finding her, he turned it down; he couldn't put himself in the mind of the psychotic freak that took Cuddy, even if it did help. He didn't understand the twisted thoughts that were going through the man's head when he abducted her; it didn't make any sense.

He stood up and put his guitar gently back on the stand before picking up his cane and limping to his bedroom. He flopped down, lying horizontally across the width of his double bed, stretching out as far as he could.

He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, willing his mind to shut off so he could sleep, but as usual, the wave of exhaustion refused to take him under. A frustrated growl left his lips as he sat up and threw his cane on to the floor with a loud crash.

"Jesus Christ, what do I have to do to get some sleep?!" he shouted in to his empty house. He listened as his voice bounced back at him in a distorted echo. He stood up rather too quickly and immediately fell backwards again as a tidal wave of pain washed through his thigh, leaving him screaming on the bed and clutching his leg. "Fuck!" he cried, the scar across his thigh protesting at his sudden movement with a vengeance. He rubbed his thigh with one hand whilst pulling a small bottle of vicodin from his jeans pocket. He poured two pills into his palm and quickly dry swallowed them, the pain too violent for him to even stand up to get water.

He rubbed his thigh vigorously with both hands, waiting for the narcotics to have an effect.

Eventually, as the pain began to subside, he stood up slowly walked over to his broken cane. 'Fuck, did I really throw it that hard?' he thought as he picked up the two splintered bits of wood. Sighing, he dropped them again and used the wall to support himself as he walked over to his phone.

After a series of beeps and a lot of swearing, House finally managed to dial the right number and talk to a tired Wilson.

"You broke your cane? How?" Wilson commented, not surprised at all after many years of being House's friend.

"I was frustrated... It seemed like a good idea at the time." House answered in a throaty voice.

"Right. Why are you frustrated?" Wilson asked, before adding, "Like I don't already know."

"Exactly, you know why, meaning that I don't need to tell you!" House argued, getting worked up for no apparent reason. He sighed when there was only the sound of Wilson's breathing on the other end of the phone. "I'll do it. I'll try and figure out where Cuddy is using that weird idea that you came up with." He said quietly, looking at the floor and holding the phone loosely against his ear.

"You will? I'm coming round House, don't fall asleep." Wilson answered quickly, hanging up before House could say no.

House sighed and rolled his eyes before dropping his phone on the table next to its holster so nobody could ring him. He stopped and stood still, having another argument with his mind. 'Put the phone back on the hook. She might try to ring you'... 'But the man will have taken her phone... She won't be able to'... 'Just do it, you'd never forgive yourself if she tried to call you but couldn't get through. "

With a heavy sigh, House gave in to his head and placed the phone on to the hook instead. 'Good God my mind is stubborn' he thought with a smirk.

He picked up his guitar again and sat on his couch. He gently strummed the opening notes of 'Gravity'. The notes reflected his solemn mood perfectly. He sang in a quiet throaty voice.

"_Gravity,_

_Is working against me._

_And gravity,_

_Wants to bring me down._

_Ooh, I'll never know,_

_What makes this man,_

_With all the love,_

_That his heart can stand._

_Dream of ways to throw it all away_."

With a smile he started the solo.

_Knock knock knock_

House frowned. He was hoping Wilson wouldn't be at his house so soon. Sighing again he stood up and leant his guitar against the couch before wandering over to the door.

"Whatever you're selling I'm not interested." He said as he opened it.

Wilson looked at House with a puzzled look. "Great." He said, walking in and sitting down on the couch.

Wilson looked at House with a puzzled look. "Great." He said, walking in and sitting down on the couch. "Right, let's start then." He added, pulling off his jacket.

House shot a horrified look at Wilson at his choice of words and actions. "I'm not gay! I was joking when I said that!" He shouted in mock horror.

Wilson frowned before realising what he meant. "House! How could you put that image in my head?!" Wilson said loudly, covering his face with his palms.

House smirked and sat on his piano stool before frowning. "Ok... So what do I have to do?" He asked quietly, staring at the floor.

Wilson nodded. "The police have put up posters around town, but nobody has seen her. As you know, there were signs of a struggle outside her house, in her driveway. All local warehouses and discarded buildings have been searched but she wasn't there. Their next search will be in the old warehouse in the outskirts of New Jersey, they said that there have been reports of abductors taking the hostages there in the past."

House's eyes seemed to light up at the prospect of Cuddy being found. He quickly stood up and grabbed a jacket from on top of the piano before saying goodbye to Wilson and leaving; without his cane.


	6. Chapter 5

**Okie dokie, I'm so sorry I didn't update for ages, but I've been writing this for the past couple of hours. I have spent the entire day writing chapters for my fics, so I'm a bit tired, especially since I was at a party last night and then slept there aswell. I'm shattered! Anyway, please please please review! Thanks! Elliot. xx**

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**You're My Muse**

The engine roared into life as House revved the motorbike. Checking behind him for any oncoming cars he quickly pulled out of his block and sped off towards the warehouse that Wilson had mentioned.

He felt the wind rushing through his hair. He hadn't bothered with a helmet in his desperation to find Cuddy.

10 minutes later he had reached his destination; he could see the warehouse down a deserted country lane a couple of hundred yards ahead. He increased his already dangerous speed and overtook several cars before signalling and turning into the lane.

He slowed down as he approached two buildings. One was the warehouse and the other was a small building with only one window.

He wasn't sure which one to look in first, so he chose the warehouse as that was the building Wilson had mentioned. In one swift movement he lifted his leg over the bike and kicked the stand down to keep the bike upright.

He wandered over to the door and pressed his ear against it, listening for any sounds coming from inside. He could hear voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. He furrowed his brow as his heart rate increased in fear. He put his hand against his other ear so he could focus on the voices inside the warehouse.

"...The stupid bitch won't stop crying." A voice said. It was a male voice, and it sounded familiar.

"Just fuckin' hit her then, she ain't gonna do anythin' is she?" The other man said. He sounded younger than the first man that had spoken, in his very early 20s, House thought, but he didn't recognise this voice.

House took a deep breath. He refused to believe that they were talking about Cuddy. He continued listening.

"When are we going to contact the hospital? It's been 8 days."

"Tomorrow. We're going to get Gregory House on the phone to negotiate with."

House furrowed his brow at the mention of his name. Why would they choose him to negotiate with?

"What if they refuse to pay the ransom?"

There was a pause as the other man thought about the question.

"Then we shoot the bitch."

House gasped. He could only assume that Cuddy would be in the building opposite rather than in the warehouse with the two men because he would have heard her crying or screaming.

He quickly limped across the road to the smaller building and peered in through the window.

His heart leapt when he saw Cuddy sitting in the middle lying on her coat. He glanced behind him to make sure the men were not coming out of the warehouse before knocking on the window.

Cuddy lifted her head at the sound of a tapping noise on the window. She looked over and her heart nearly exploded with emotion when she saw House's face smiling at her. She jumped up and ran over to the window and placed a hand on it.

House copied her actions so their hands were only seperated by the thin bit of glass they were touching.

Tears trickled down Cuddy's face as she smiled at House. She had never been so happy to see him.

"Where's the door? I'm going to bust it open." House said, loudly enough so that Cuddy would hear but the two men in the warehouse would not.

His voice was muffled through the glass but she could hear what he said.

She opened her mouth to tell him but her voice had gone from lack of usage. She cleared her throat and tried again. "It's on the other side." She said, still smiling at him.

House looked behind him again before quickly limping round to the other side of the building. He saw the door and look around for something to break it down with. He cursed in frustration when he couldn't see any large or hard objects with which to break the door.

He wandered over to the door and tried opening it but it was locked with a padlock as well as a normal lock. "Fuck fuck fuck!" He whispered. His eyes travelled down to the cat flap in the door. He furrowed his brow and bent down. He pushed on it gently to see if it would open. It didn't move so instead he kicked it as hard as he could. It swung open forcefully before shutting again, but this time it didn't lock. It was slightly larger than the average cat flap so there was a chance that Cuddy could fit through if she tried.

He opened the cat flap and put his head at the opening so he could talk to Cuddy. She bent down and knelt in front of the opening and ran a hand down the side of House's face.

"You're actually here..." She whispered. "I knew you'd find me."

House smiled. "I'd never let you down."

Tears flowed down Cuddy's cheeks as she leant forward and kissed House softly on his forehead. She stayed there breathing on him for a few seconds before trailing her lips down to his. Their lips brushed lightly against each other before House placed a gentle peck on her soft plump lips.

"How did you find me?" She whispered to House, who was completely breathless after their kiss.

"The police told Wilson that this was their next search location..." House admitted.

Cuddy frowned. "If the police were going to search here next then why did you come?"

"You're my muse." House answered. Cuddy smiled as yet another tear rolled down her cheek. House wiped his finger over the tear and brushed her hair out of her face. "You inspired me to sing an English song - by a band called Muse, ironically." Cuddy laughed. Her laugh lit up the room, her eyes sparkling in the company of House.

"Lisa, I lo-"

BANG!

Cuddy jumped backwards and House spun round to face the man that fired the gun shot.

"Step away from the fuckin' door, yeah?!" The man shouted. House was right, the man was in his early 20s or late teens. He had a shaved head and a few freckles around his nose. His black eyes were glaring at House through the darkness. "Oi! I said step away from the fuckin' door!" He shouted again, firing another shot a few centimetres from House's right leg.

"Shit!" House cried, rolling out of the way. He stood up too fast and his leg gave way underneath him. He collapsed to the floor and a cloud of dust flew from the ground and surrounded House before floating back down to the floor.

"Get up you bastard!" The man shouted, aiming the gun directly at House.

"House!" Cuddy shrieked from inside her prison.

The man swivelled round and turned his attention to Cuddy who was sitting by the cat flap watching everything that was doing on. "Get away from the door you bitch!" He screamed, shooting the door.

The bullet ricochet off of the metal door and narrowly missed House as he sat clutching his thigh on the floor.

While the man's attention was focused on Cuddy, House stood up and threw himself at the man and wrestled himself to the ground. Several shots were fired throughout the struggle, but they went unnoticed by everyone apart from Cuddy, who sat watching the entire scene with teary eyes.

"Get off me you tosser!" The man shouted, pulling the trigger one final time. "Fuck!" He screamed as the bullet went through his leg instead of House's.

House smirked at the man lying on the floor with his leg tucked up to his chest. "Want my help? I'm a doctor."

"Yeah mate, fuckin' help me!"

"Excuse me? Fucking help me_ please_; you will get nothing by shouting." House answered before adding, "Give me the keys to the door and I'll help you."

The man glared at House. "Fuck off."

"Well that was just rude." House said before bending down and pulling the keys to the door and an ID card out of the man's pocket. "Hmm. Marcus James, 19 years old." He read aloud before walking over to the door and unlocking it. Cuddy immediately wrapped her arms around House and cried into his chest. "It's ok, Lisa. Shhh, you're ok now, you're safe, I won't let anything happen to you." House muttered into her hair.

"Not yet, actually." A gruff male voice said. Both House and Cuddy turned around to see Bill Arnello aiming a shotgun at them.

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**Awhh, come on, you gotta gimme credit for focusing enough to write this chapter today! Please review and feel free to ask any questions :)**

**Did I mention REVIEW? :D**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello, sorry this took me so long to post, I've been busy with Christmas and my other fic, etc... Anyway, hope you like it and hope you had a good Christmas! Elliot. x**

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"It's ok, Lisa. Shhh, you're ok now, you're safe, I won't let anything happen to you," House muttered into her hair, "I lo-"

"Not yet, actually."

"Oh for God's sake, what now? Can't you give me 10 seconds to finish the bloody sentence?" House whined, rolling his eyes.

Bill smirked and pointed the gun at Cuddy instead. When he saw House flinch he spoke. "I think I've found your weak spot, haven't I?"

"You bastard." House said, letting go of Cuddy and standing in front of her. "Why are you doing this? I cured your brother, he left the hospital alive."

"BUT HE DIDN'T STAY ALIVE, DID HE?!" Bill screeched, his face turning red. "He died a week later... He was supposed to live... He wasn't supposed to die. We were brothers... NOW I'VE GOT NOTHING!" He shouted, firing a shot at the dusty ground. The sound of the bullet echoed around them and a flock of birds flew from the roof of the building and into the pitch black distance. The anger left Bill's face and was replaced by a look of smugness. "Nothing except you. You ruined Joey's life, you ruined my life, and now I'm going to ruin yours. And I'll start by killing your lover; Dr. Cuddy." He added. He aimed the gun at House and twitched it sideways, signalling for him to move out of the way. "Move, House."

"No. I won't let you hurt her." He said firmly, glaring at Bill.

Bill smirked. "I could just kill you both with one bullet, you know."

"But you don't want to, you want to make me suffer by making me watch you kill Lisa."

"Good point, but if you don't move I don't mind altering my plans." Bill said with an evil smile.

After a loud growl from above, drops of rain spat from the sky and splattered onto the ground. Nearby trees swayed and rustled in the sudden breeze, making a faint white noise in the background of everything going on.

"...Bill..." Marcus James said from the floor, his voice was barely above a whisper as he began to feel feint. He was surrounded by a pool of shiny red blood that soaked his clothes and dribbled onto the floor. "Bill... The cops..."

"What?" Bill spun round and his jaw dropped as he saw several police cars driving slowly down the lane, their red and blue lights were flashing, casting a purple light amongst the green of the trees. "Shit." Bill cursed, stuffing the gun into the inside pocket of his jacket. "You two," he said, nodding at Hosue and Cuddy before jerking his head towards the door of the building, "Get in there."

House frowned at the man's stupidity. "Why would we do that when there are police over there?"

"Because-"

"Lisa, run!" House shouted, pushing her towards the cars, "I'll be there in a minute, but I can't run." He added when he saw a 'why-aren't-you-coming-too' look flash across her face.

Relieved that he was just going to take a bit longer than him, Cuddy sprinted the distance between her and the police cars and leapt into Wilson's arms, who had only just managed to get out of the car in time to catch her.

"Lisa, oh my God! We never thought we'd find you, I'm so glad you're ok." Wilson said softly into her hair as he wrapped his arms round her back. "I don't think House got a single nights sleep while you were gone, he was really worried." He whispered with a soft laugh.

Cuddy let out a small giggle and squeezed Wilson tighter as she cried onto his shoulder.

A look of pure hatred spread across Bill's face as Lisa escaped. The whole thing would end up completely pointless if he let House escape too. With a final smile he aimed the gun at House and fired.

The loud shot startled Cuddy and she spun her head over her shoulder to see House lying on the floor screaming.

"House!" She screamed, trying to run towards him.

"Lisa, leave him, the police are going to him." Wilson said quietly, holding her arm to stop her running off.

"House..." She whispered, tears pouring from her puffy eyes and trickling down her pink cheeks.

Wilson and Cuddy stood by the cars watching the police charge towards Bill Arnello with their guns.

"STEP AWAY FROM DR. HOUSE!" They shouted at him, aiming the guns directly at his chest.

Bill moved a few metres away from where House was groaning on the floor clutching his arm. "This better?"

"Shut up and get down on your knees with your hands on your head!"

When Bill had dropped down onto his knees the police officer closest to him ran over and clicked the handcuffs onto his wrists. He gripped Bill by his collar and tugged him roughly to his feet.

"Bill Arnello you are under arrest for abduction and attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent anything you say will be used as evidence against you..."

"Lisa!" Wilson shouted, leaping after Cuddy as she ran to House's side.

"House!" She whispered, dropping down beside him and rubbing her hand along his cheek. She ripped through the thin material of his shirt and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the bullet had torn through the edge of his arm but had mostly missed, leaving a gash across his upper arm but it would heal eventually. She used the piece of shirt she had torn off and wrapped it around the wound before tying it up in a scruffy knot.

She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Thanks for saving me, House." She whispered softly into his ear.

"No problem, any time you need me to save you from a murdering fuckhead, I'm there for you." House replied with a smile and a wink.

Cuddy laughed and carefully wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. House put his left arm around Cuddy and kept his blood-soaked right arm down by his side.

"Lisa, I lo-" House started, but a panting Wilson interrupted.

"House, are you ok?" Wilson asked, squatting down beside House and Cuddy.

"I swear to God, is it completely impossible to finish a sentence around here without somebody interrupting?"

"What were you going to say?" Cuddy questioned, looking at House. The darkness cast shadows over his face but his eyes sparkled through and reflected in her eyes. "House?"

"It doesn't matter."

Cuddy frowned and traced a finger along his jaw line. "It does matter. I know you want to tell me."

"I do, but..."

"House, just say it for God's sake." Wilson said with a laugh, but House could tell that he was getting annoyed with the delay.

"Hey, you're the one that interrupted when I was going to say it two minutes ago." House snarked, his left arm still round Cuddy's waist.

"House, don't turn this on me, just say it so we can go the hospital and get you fixed up." Wilson said.

House looked down at the floor and frowned. "The time isn't right now. Maybe some other time."

Cuddy smiled and kissed his forehead again, but she was disappointed that he hadn't said it. She knew that she couldn't rush him because he'd take two steps back if she pushed. "It's ok, let's go get in a car and get you to the hospital."

"What about my bike?" House asked.

"I'll drive it back." Wilson offered, raising his hand.

"Go for it, Wonder Boy." House fished his keys out of his pocket and lobbed them to Wilson, being careful not to move his right arm too much.

"Thanks." Wilson said, and with an un-amused smile he turned and walked over to where House's bike lay discarded in the dirt.

"Lisa." House said quietly, tightening his arm around her waist. "I missed you." He whispered, feeling very out of character, so he quickly added, "Don't ever get abducted again."

House smiled and nodded towards the policeman that was beckoning them over. From the distance they were away from him, House could tell he was about 6ft tall with spiky brown hair. "We should go."

"Ok, let me help you up." She held out a held and he gripped it and hoisted himself upright. "Thanks." He muttered.

Cuddy held House's hand as they walked side by side over to the awaiting car.

"Dr. House." The policeman said, nodding at House before repeating the same actions with Cuddy. "If you'd both like to get into the car, we'll drive you to the hospital."

"Thanks." Cuddy smiled. "Do you have any water I could have?" She questioned, suddenly realising that her throat was very dry.

"Yes Dr. Cuddy, just look on the backseat, there are two bottles of water and a sandwich."

"Thanks." Cuddy said again, practically diving into the back of the car to get the food and water. House climbed in the car a lot slower than Cuddy so the pain in his arm didn't get any worse.

He glanced over at the policeman again. He was probably just over 6ft, actually, and his hair was a very dark shade of chocolate brown. His eyes were green in the middle and dark brown around the edge, immediately making House think of a forest.

"Are you checking out that guy?" Cuddy asked between mouthfuls of her sandwich.

"No!" House answered, being truthful but sounding overly defensive. "And don't talk with your mouth full." He added.

Cuddy made sure she swallowed before laughing. 'She was looking better already', House thought with a smile. He would have put his arm around her but she was sitting on the wrong side of him, he couldn't lift his right arm without waves of pain shooting up it.

Cuddy downed her second bottle of water before dropping the empty bottle on the seat next to her with the other one.

She leaned over and rested her head carefully on House's leg. House winced as her head ached his right leg where he was minus a muscle.

She quickly sat up again and her eyes were wide. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok," House said, "Climb over me and sit on the other side of me, that way you can lie on my other leg."

Cuddy smiled and awkwardly stood up as much as she could. She twisted her body to face and and shuffled sideways, carefully stepping over House's feet. She pushed her hands against the ceiling to keep her balance but one hand slipped and she fell forward. Her legs were either side of House's and her hands were resting on the back seat either side of House's head.

"Oh." Cuddy said, frowning.

House smirked as he looked down Cuddy's tattered shirt.

"House!" Cuddy laughed, placing a hand over his eyes to obscure his view.

"Awhh, you have to ruin all my fun!" House whined.

Somebody cleared their throat from the front of the car. House and Cuddy turned around to see the policeman sitting there watching them. "Are you done?" He asked, smirking.

"Oh, we weren't-"

"She went over a week with having sex with me, she gets a little crazy when we're alone together." House interrupted with a smirk.

"I'm sure she does." The policeman said with a wink. "By the way, I'm officer Richard Morris, but you can call me Richie." He added, offering his hand out to shake as he sat awkwardly on his chair to face them.

"Greg House." House replied, shaking his hand and smirking.

"Lisa Cuddy." Cuddy answered when House let go.

"Oh I know who you two are. Mostly because of this case and the search we undertook to find you, Dr. Cuddy, but also because there are rumours going round about you two." Richie said.

Cuddy paused and raised her eye brows. "Rumours?" She asked, frowning.

"Oh, you'll hear them soon enough. Are we ready to leave now?" Richie asked, smiling.

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**Please _review_ and let me know what you think :)**

**Did I mention REVIEW?**


	8. Chapter 7

**Sorry I suck and haven't updated in a while, I've been writing my other stories a lot and kind of forgot about this one. It's also fairly short but I spent a couple of days writing it. Anyway, R&R people :)**

**Also, there will only be another 1, possibly 2, chapters after this one. It's a short fic, I know, but oh well, ehh? ;D**

**Elliot. x**

* * *

House and Cuddy sat in the back of the car lost in their own thoughts. House's left arm was resting around Cuddy's shoulders, gently stroking the top of her dirty arm. Cuddy leant her head against House's shoulder and reached her left arm around the front of him and rubbed his wounded bloody arm softly.

'_This is WHTZ-FM bringing you the Best of the British, up next is Run by Snow Patrol..._'

The voice faded out and the beginning riff of the song started a few moments before the lyrics began.

'_I'll sing it one last time for you,_

_But then we really have to go._

_You've been the only thing that's right,_

_In all I've done._'

House sat in the back of the car subtly nodding his head to the music. He'd never heard the song before but he was beginning to enjoy it. He'd been listening to a lot of new music recently, some of it good and some of it bad, but on the whole he was really enjoying listening to different music.

"I love this song." Cuddy mumbled, silently asking for it to be turned up.

Officer Morris smiled and twisted one of the many knobs in the middle of the board. The volume of the song increased and Cuddy smiled, tapping her feet to the beat.

'_And I can barely look at you,_

_But every single time I do,_

_I know we'll make it anywhere,_

_Away from here._'

House glanced outside, waiting for Bill Arnello to be bundled into the back of the police van so they could leave. He was pushed and shoved and eventually he collapsed into one of the seats and the doors slammed shut behind him.

"Where is the other man? There were two men, right?" Officer Morris asked with a worried frown.

"Yes, there were..." Cuddy answered slowly, her eyes scanning the dark surroundings for any trace of the young man.

"What did he look like?" Officer Morris asked, turning to face Cuddy.

She opened her mouth to answer just as another gunshot shattered the window next to her. She screamed and fell sideways onto House who was staring wide eyed at the silhouette of Marcus swiftly limping away in to the trees.

The bullet missed House and Cuddy and embedded itself in the far side of the car, much to the relief of House, who was consoling a distressed Cuddy.

2 police officers, including Officer Morris who had jumped out of the car just after the shot was fired, charged after him as another stood and took aim before firing a shot at him. He screamed crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain.

'_Louder louder,_

_And we'll run for our lives._

_I can hardly speak I understand,_

_Why you can't raise your voice to say._'

"Lisa," House said, his voice barely above a whisper, "It's ok, he's gone; he was shot when he tried to get away."

Cuddy raised her head from House's lap and moved so her head was nestled in his neck. She cried softly, her sobs breaking the eyrie silence in the car.

He gently kissed the top of her head, willing her to stop crying, because it tore him apart, though he would never tell her that.

She slowly looked up at him, her eyes burning into his.

'_To think I might not see those eyes,_

_Makes it so hard not to cry._

_And as we say our long goodbye,_

_I nearly do._'

House stared into Cuddy's watery eyes and tried his best to ignore the lyrics of the song; they didn't mean anything, they were just a coincidence.

'_Light up, light up,_

_As if you have a choice._

_Even you cannot hear my voice,_

_I'll be right beside you dear._'

Cuddy sniffed again as House brushed the tears off of her face.

'_Have heart my dear,_

_We're bound to be afraid._

_Even if it's just for a few days,_

_Making up for all this mess._'

House rolled his eyes and leant forward, stretching an arm through the gap between the two front seats and switching off the radio.

Cuddy frowned up at him. "I liked that song."

"It was making me think... I don't like thinking." House answered with a slight smile and a shrug.

"What were you thinking of?" Cuddy asked, sitting up yawning.

"The lyrics... Just one of the verses. It was about saying a long goodbye; how depressing is that?" House replied, also yawning. "And stop making me yawn." He added, glaring at Cuddy.

Cuddy let out a small laugh and ran her fingers through her scruffy hair. "I need a shower." She said in a disgusted tone of voice.

House completely lost himself in her smell, disgusting as it may be. He was desperate to do something, anything, to show her that he liked her... loved her. With a sudden brainwave he acted upon his stupid idea.

"So do I." He whispered into her ear, brushing his hand down her thigh.

Cuddy's breath hitched in her throat and her heart rate increased, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"Oh. Not such a stupid idea then." House mused, still breathing heavily into her ear, knowing she was now putty in his hands.

With a gentle bite on her ear, House ran his fingers along the inside of her thigh, sending lightning bolts charging through her body.

"House..." Cuddy whispered, closing her eyes as he worked his magic, slowly tickling her stomach and legs.

"Mmm?" He mumbled, the vibrations from his throat sending waves of pleasure around her body. He was getting ready to tell her, he knew it was the right time, but unfortunately so did Cuddy.

"Say it," She whispered, pausing as she held his hand still and placed a hand on his wounded arm, "The time is perfect."

"It was until you said that." House whined; he had been so close to being able to tell her.

"It still is." She smiled, kissing his cheek.

"It's not; I have to do this myself, it's hard enough without people forcing me into it." House said, staring down at the floor. He didn't mean to hurt her by saying that, but he did have a tendency to be too harsh with words.

Cuddy looked a little taken aback but shrugged it off and shuffled over to her side of the back seats.

With a sigh, House reached his hand over to her and placed it on top of hers. He smiled and gently squeezed her hand, receiving back her warmth as she moved back next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

She took one last deep breath before a wave of sleep washed over her and engulfed her.

"I love you." House whispered when he was sure she couldn't hear him. With a smile he rested his head on hers and fell asleep.

---------------------

Richie waited impatiently for James' body to be bundled into the back of the ambulance before heading back to his car.

A strong breeze followed him as he approached the door.

Without glancing inside first he pulled open the door.

"I'm back-" He said, but upon seeing the scene that was laid out in front of him he simply smiled and left them to sleep.

With an inward smile he placed the keys into the ignition and started the car.

The revs of the engine must have stirred House as he began mumbling inaudible sentences and twitching.

With a cautious glance behind him to make sure House wasn't awake, Richie began driving back to Princeton.

The streetlights lit the motorway ahead of him and cast and orange glow across the cars that flashed past him as he overtook them.

He stayed silent but soon realised that sitting in total silence was boring, so he quietly switched on the radio. The song had already started, and Richie hadn't a clue what it was; some 'Best of British' song, no doubt.

He didn't like the singer's voice or even the music itself, but reluctantly listened anyway because there wasn't likely to be anything better on.

House awoke when he heard the sound of music in the car. He opened his eyes and realised that Cuddy was still fast asleep on his shoulder. With a smile he looked up at Richie, who hadn't noticed he was awake.

He recognised that the song was by Muse; the singer had a unique singing voice, being able to go ridiculously high but also low.

'_Can't take my eyes off of you._

_I love you baby, and if it's quite alright,_

_I need you baby to warm the lonely nights._

_I love you baby, trust in me when I say, _

_Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray._'

Perfect. The lyrics of the song were perfect; all he had to do was wake up Cuddy and let her listen. He found it difficult to tell her, so a song telling her for him was a lot easier.

He shifted his weight slightly so he could nudge Cuddy, but with a muffled scream he squeezed his eyes shut in pain as he leant too much weight on his arm that was still covered in blood from being shot.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself before carefully nudging Cuddy awake, not wanting to startle her.

"Cuddy..." He whispered into her hair. "Cuddy..." He repeated when she showed no signs of waking from her slumber.

'_Come on,_' He thought, '_You have to listen to this, you have to._"

"Lisa." He said a little louder.

He watched with a smile as she began to stir and wake up.

"Lisa, listen to the lyrics." He commanded, softly but sternly. He looked at her with a reassuring smile.

Cuddy opened her eyes and focused her hearing on the sound of the singer's voice and words.

'_Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you, _

_Let me love you baby, let me love you, _

_You're just too good to be true, _

_Can't take my eyes off of you._'

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**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW :D******


	9. Chapter 8

**Ok, I know I told you that I would make this an extra long final chapter to the story, but to be honest, I really like this final chapter. I was dangerously close to making myself cry (in my defence, I'm an emotion wreck and spend most of my time crying). Anyway, I raelly hope you like this final chapter :)**

**Oh, and, it's my birthday today! LOL. I'm 15 now :3**

* * *

_ONE YEAR LATER....._

House lay in bed, his arm wrapped around Cuddy, who was nestled in his neck, her hot gentle breaths of sleep sending shivers down his spine.

He twirled her luscious brown curls around his fingers whilst his other hand was interlocked with one of hers, resting on his chest.

The light had begun creeping in through the window, carefully avoiding the thin barrier of material that covered the glass and bouncing off of the walls, shining across Cuddy, bathing her in its warm glow.

Exactly one year ago, House had awoken from a nightmare, a nightmare about the horrifying events that had been endured over the previous week. Cuddy had gone missing for well over a week, trapped in her prison-like room with only a small amount of food and water each day.

He could only imagine the shit she had gone through trying not to think about what was happening to her. It's the kind of thing you hear about but never expect to happen to you, or to anybody you love.

With a deep breath, House carefully crawled out of bed, trying not to disturb Cuddy or cause his leg anymore pain than neccessary. Cuddy stirred and mumbled in her sleep as House gently pushed the covers down far enough for him to clamber out before wandering over to the chest of draws on the far side of the room.

He pulled one of the wooden draws open and lifted a piece of wood from the bottom, revealing a CD album beneath it.

With a smile, he pulled out the CD case and returned the piece of wood to where it belonged. He glanced over at Cuddy to check she was still asleep. Her chest rose and fell in gentle breaths and her arms were splayed out around her. He smiled at the sleeping form of the woman he had loved for years.

Looking back at the CD, he gently prised open the case and pulled the CD out. The CD had 'mix songs' scrawled across the front of it in a black marker pen. He quickly and quietly limped over to the CD player at the back of the room, pressing open and waiting as the disk holder slid out of its home.

With a cautious glance over his shoulder at Cuddy, he closed the CD player and pressed play before skipping through the tracks until he found the one he was looking for.

As the beginning riff started, he walked back over to the bed and climbed in, wrapping arm around Cuddy once more.

Again, she stirred and mumbled, but this time she woke up.

"Hey." She smiled, the whole room lighting up with her. "Hey." House smiled back, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

Cuddy's breath hitched in her throat as House's lips came into contact with hers. She closed her eyes and tried to roll on top of him in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but instead of joining in, House held her off and smiled at her reassuringly.

"There's plently of time for that after this, ok?" House smirked, kissing her forehead as she frowned at him.

"After what?" Cuddy asked, not having a clue what House was talking about.

"Listen." House urged, nodding in the direction of the CD player.

For the first time, Cuddy realised there was a song playing in the background.

_'Light up, light up,  
As if you have a choice.  
Even you cannot hear my voice,  
I'll be right beside you dear.'  
_  
A tear rolled down Cuddy's cheek as she realised what the song was. It was the exact same song that was playing a year ago, while they were sitting curled up together in the back seat of a police car, sitting wishing waiting for the day to end.

"House..." She mumbled, her voice catching in the back of her throat.

"Lisa, I love you." House said, looking into her watery eyes as he smiled down at her.

"I-I love you t-too." Cuddy replied with a small laugh as she stuttered on her words. "Why did you pick this song? W-why didn't you pick the other one, the one that you w-woke me up to listen to?" Cuddy asked, wiping salty tears from her pink cheeks.

"I wanted to prove the song wrong." House answered, but quickly elaborated upon seeing Cuddy's obviously confused expression. "I turned the song off when it got to this bit." He said, nodding towards the CD player again with excellent timing.

She slowly looked up at him, her eyes burning into his.

_'To think I might not see those eyes,  
Makes it so hard not to cry.  
And as we say our long goodbye,  
I nearly do.'_

"Oh." Cuddy laughed, another wave of tears pouring from her eyes.

House laughed back, tightening his grip around her shoulders and resting his head against hers.

"Wait until you hear the next song." He mumbled against the crown of her head.

"What is it?" Cuddy asked, feeling her body warm up at his kiss.

"You'll see." House smiled, kissing her again.

They fell silent, listening to the rest of the song, the lyrics washing over them in a warm wave.

The final riff of the song finished, and the music faded out. Cuddy waited expectantly for the next song to play.

"Oh, House..." Cuddy mumbled, as the singer began the chorus of the song.

_'Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you,  
Let me love you baby, let me love you.'_

Cuddy looked up into House's eyes, and he looked back, their love burning into each other's souls as they listened to the songs that resemebled a huge change for the better in their lives.

_'You're just too good to be true,  
Can't take my eyes off of you.'_

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**Ok, please review and tell me if you like it. Frankly I loved that chapter, not sure why, I guess I just love those songs. Oh yeah, these are the songs (incase you didn't know what they were):**

**Run - Snow Patrol  
Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Muse**

**Thank you very much for reading my fic, and I'd like to thank all the people that reviewed, especially ChanelBesos, Revengent, Aserene, Ang_catalonan, Sweetpants, Joraco14 and flystyle23 go dolphins. Thank you guys so much for reviewing each chapter :)**

**Elliot. xx**


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